4 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHEEIES. 



vessel is anchored, the two ends of the warp are passed through the 

 rope rollers onto a winch, and the net hauled in directly against the 

 tide. 



There are two dillerent types of these nets — the plaice net and the 

 haddock net. The first is the type for flat fish and the second for 

 round fish; the size of mesh in each is therefore slightly different. 

 Both these types are carried on each vessel. The total length of the 

 net is from 33 to 36 fathoms, the depth from 6 to 7 fathoms, and the 

 length of each warp from 750 to 1,000 fathoms according to the 

 depth of water. In the plaice net the size of mesh in the ■wdngs is 

 2-inch bar and the cod end 1^-inch bar. In the haddock net the size 

 of mesh in the wings is 2|-inch bar and in the cod end l|-inch bar. 

 The wings are 16 fathoms and the center 4 fathoms in length. 



The cod end is of double cotton mesh. The head and foot ropes 

 are of hemp 1^ inches in circumference, and the net is of cotton. 

 The whole net is of very light construction. The warp is 2^ inches 

 in circumference and may be of English manila, Danish manila, 

 Danish sisal, etc. The head line is provided with either cork floats 

 or glass bulbs to keep the net upright; the footrope is weighted with 

 lead sinkers, slightly heavier' in the center. The floats and sinkers 

 are adjusted so that the net just touches the bottom, though with the 

 plaice net it is necessary to drag to a certain extent along the bottom. 

 In some cases pieces of chain about 2 feet in length are attached to 

 the ground rope for "tickling," an ash stick 6 feet in length is seized 

 on either end of the net to assist in keeping it open, and to this stick 

 the warp is attached, but this is not universally used. The length 

 of the cod end is about 9 fathoms. The cost of the haddock net 

 (1921) was about $121 and of the plaice net $73. 



The ship's anchor, with the warp attached, is dropped and buoyed. 

 The ship then steams about two points off the tide; that is, with the 

 tide setting north, the ship steams NNE. or NNW., paying out warp 

 as she goes. After paying out about 600 fathoms or more, accord- 

 ing to depth, the ship turns so as to lay the last 100 fathoms of warp, 

 the net, and a further 100 fathoms of warp, across the tide, when she 

 turns again to pick up her moorings, paying out warp at a sufficient 

 speed to prevent any drag on the net. When fast to her moorings, 

 both warps are attached to a special wnnch and are hauled in to- 

 gether. When hauling, the warps act as "ticklers" and drive the 

 fish into the net. The fact that the warps remain on the bottom 

 keeps the net open till within 50 fathoms of the ship. The whole pro- 

 cess of shooting and hauling is said to take less than an hour. The 

 fish are all taken alive and are in first-class condition. The boats 

 used vary in size from the small motor boat of about 10 tons to the 

 small steam trawler of about 90 to 100 tons, though the most suit- 

 able seem to be wooden drifters of about 45 net tons. 



It is believed that this type of fishing can be carried on only in 

 fine weather and can not be regarded as a whole-time method. 

 Several skippers, however, who are using this net claim that with 

 proper care it can be used all the year. The majority of vessels 

 fitting with this type of gear propose to take up line fishing during 

 the winter months, and vessels are chosen with a view to bemg suit- 

 able for either purpose. A steam trawler which burns about 5^ 

 tons of coal per day when trawling is said to burn only 2 to 2^ tons 

 per day when seining, although the catches have been about equal. 



